What Video Camera??

[wrogers]

Hi all..

I am after a video camera for wildlife videos, and I was wondering what are the best for £1600 and under??

Ideally about a 600mm tele end would be good, or 500mm if a teleconverter is available.

is the canon XL2 still around £1000 S/Hand??

also what is sound like on handheld camcorders??

and finally what are fixed lens camcorders like??

any help is welcomed!

Will

[rogpow]

Hi Will,

I use the Canon XM2 and XL2 camcorders for wildlife and surfing videos.

The XM2 has an excellent 20x flourite i.s. fixed lens with a 35mm equivalent of approx. 39.5m-790mm which is up to Canon's usual high standards. The camcorder can be controlled completely manually (shutter speed/aperture/focus etc) which I find essential for wildlife filming. It can be had new for about £1500 and you have the option of a superb wide angle adapter made by Canon, and several tele converters.

Don't know what the current s/h prices of XL2s are, but they're always in demand and go quick on ebay etc. The larger sensors give a slightly better quality and it has native 16:9 and true 25p modes. The main attraction for wildlife (and surfing) filming is the interchangeable lens facility. I've just purchased an adapter which enable me to use my Nikon 35mm lenses. With a 7.2 magnification ratio a 70-210mm becomes a 500-1500 (approx).

With either of these camcorders a sturdy tripod with a good fluid head is a must!

PM me if you want any more info.

Cheers,
Rog

[davetee]

Rog...do you have a link to that adaptor.

Cheers

Dave

[rogpow]

Hi Dave,

Here you go:

VideoGear.co.uk - Canon XL to Nikon Lens Adapter

Works a treat. There are a few things to be aware of:

First is that you get a "lens" warning flash red in the viewfinder while using it, but you soon get used to it.

Secondly, it only works with Nikon lenses with an aperture ring, NOT the newer G type lenses.

Also, as you probably realise, you can only focus and zoom manually using the lens controls and you might need to add screw-in or square mattebox/cokin type ND filters to the lens you use as the ND filters on the XL2 are on the lens not in the body.

Cheers,
Rog

[davetee]

Many thanks Rog. I'm still deliberating on what video to get so I have to take all these things into account. I'm still torn between the Sony PMW EX3 and the Canon Xl-H1A...different beasts I know but all my glass is Canon, but the EX3 is 1920x1080. An option would be the EX3 and a Sigma 150-500...any thoughts ?

[rogpow]

Originally Posted by davetee

Many thanks Rog. I'm still deliberating on what video to get so I have to take all these things into account. I'm still torn between the Sony PMW EX3 and the Canon Xl-H1A...different beasts I know but all my glass is Canon, but the EX3 is 1920x1080. An option would be the EX3 and a Sigma 150-500...any thoughts ?

Hi Dave,
Don't really know enough about those two cams to help you.
Are you familiar with these forums?:
The Digital Video Information Network has separate sections you can browse for just about every serious camcorders and it's my first port of call for any advice.
Wildeye Filmmaking Chat :: Index is a smaller site dedicated to wildlife filming and I know someone on there was discussing adapters for the EX3 recently.

The only general comments I can make is that you're going to need plenty of processing power for editing HD. Also you'll need a really solid tripod for the longer focal lengths. Anything above about 300mm (2000mm equivalent) and you notice any slight vibration/movement. A 150-500 is going to give you a 1000-3500 focal length which is going to be some beast to handle! Don't forget as well that any lens you attach that's heavier than the stock lens supplied and you risk putting strain on the body/lens mount. Then you have to start looking at supporting rails etc.

Hope that's of some help.
Rog

[davetee]

Thanks Rog. Yes I've been looking around those two forums..still deliberating though. I upgraded my PC to a Quad Core recently and it has 8GB of Ram, plus a caddy for hot-swapping Hard Drives, for archiving, hopefully that will do the trick.

The EX3 has a factor of 5 so the 150-500 would give me 750-2500 which should still be enough. I agree...I would definitely sort some kind of rail system out.

MTF may be making a Canon to EX3 adaptor which Manually controls the aperture...if that happens I'll probably go for the EX3 so I can use my Canon glass...and use the Sigma with my DSLR.

Thanks fore your input.

Dave

[kian140]

Hi Will! I use Mini DVR to captured wonderful images because this mini digital video recorder can record up to 40 Hours of video. DVR is portable. Video is viewed with the built-in 3.5" LCD Screen or you can connect it to your TV. Data can also be transferred to a computer via High Speed USB 2.0 with included cable. Also, with built-in voice recorder, unit can store about 910 hours of audio. This unit is perfect for body worn & covert applications and fits easily into a fanny pack.

[tigger]

I purchased an XL1S last year s/h and I absolutely love it. I've also bought the Canon 1.6 converter, and an had an adapter made by Les Bosher for my old Canon SLR tele lenses. Also have a Manfrotto tripod.

Can't tell you how much better it is than my old hand held camcorder setup.

Now taking video of wildlife is a complete pleasure, from the insects and birds in my garden to the water voles and dragonflies on holiday in France.

If you want any more info about it just PM me.

Jane

[davetee]

I've just got the EX3 but still waiting for my tripod so I can't actually use it yet.